Recent
research indicates that a large number of coaches have problems in
getting sufficient clients. From the research it's clear that
there are a number of related issues that prevent coaches from filling
their practice.

The
most common problems are knowing specifically how to go about getting
new clients - what strategy or strategies to use, how to reach your
target market, how to use the internet and associated technologies to
their best effect, and how to balance marketing and delivery.

This article looks at ways for coaches to overcome these problems and
get more clients.

1. Discover the best ways to reach your potential
clients

There
are several ways that can be used to reach your potential
clients. Many of these are already set up, both online and
offline. Online there are discussion groups, email lists,
ezines, article sites and forums.

Offline
there are magazines, meeting places, networking groups, special
interest groups and exhibitions, to name but a few.

Some
will be better than others in reaching your target market.
Which are available, which ones are you drawn to, and which ones best
suit your target market?

2. Use those ways regularly

Once
you've identified the most useful ways to reach your clients, get used
to using them, and use them regularly. Short, regular contact
is much better than long, irregular contact.

Research
article directories and find out how they work. Write some
articles in your area of expertise - things your target market want to
know. Select the ones that you like and try them out.

5. Publish your research - give away or sell

You
can publish your research into clients' needs and wants on your website
or blog. Or you can sell it, or both. Prior to doing this, have a
strategy. And remember, it's the solutions to
the problems that is of most use to your clients.

6. Create information products & generate a
list

Create
a marketing strategy based around information products that are
relevant to your market. Resources that can help you are
available from Jo Losack, the Product Coach, who produces material to
help coaches via http://www.themagicofknowledge.com
. And Andrea Lee has published a book on the Multiple Streams
of Coaching Income.

7. Give talks in public

Find
where your target market meet offline, and find an opportunities to
give talks to them. Focus on the problems that they have told you about
- establish what pain this causes and create a talk about the problems
and solutions.

8. Generate PR - write articles & send to
papers

Use
your research to identify likely topics that your target market will
value. Write articles and distribute them to the press that
your target market read. Use a similar approach online via
article directories.

9. Join associations

What
are the associations that are relevant to your target market and
niche? Search for them online and join them. Then go to their
offline meetings.

Offer
to present to them on a problem that the target market
experiences. Join their management committee - get involved
and get seen.

10. Get referrals

Ask
your existing clients for referrals. There are many referral
systems out there - check out Jay Abrahams' methods. In addition, there
are 'tell-a-friend' forms available on the internet that can increase
the size of your mailing list. Whatever referral mechanisms
you use, get them systematised.

Conclusion

In
this article we have outlined a number of online and offline approaches
for gaining more clients. Those coaches who identify which
strategies are most effective for them to reach their target market and
who apply these strategies consistently will be effective in gaining
new clients.